* Four Four Two Magazine assessment: "Karius looks extremely comfortable racing off his line to close down attackers. Always alert, he narrows the angle quicker than the forwards can react and snuffs out chances regularly".

* Aug 2014: Former Mainz boss Christian Heidel raved: "If Real Madrid had not just signed a goalkeeper, he [Karius] would probably would be in talks there."

* Mar 2016: Mainz captain Julian Baumgartlinger enthused: "Loris has been excellent for two years. He doesn't make mistakes, and has become better and better with the ball. He is on the right track".

* Apr 2016: Karius told reporters: "It would be a dream to play there [the Prem] again. That excites me still. The club is decisive, not the league".

The Bundesliga seems to be a fertile hunting ground for goalkeepers these days, and over the last year, Liverpool have also been linked with Bernd Leno, Timo Horn, and Ron Zieler. Horn remains the standout candidate, though, and his primary stats are far superior to Karius's: